Posts by Mighty Dosser

Apple iPhone 3GS

Tethering costs

To all the people who say that you are allowed to tether with other phones on O2- have you actually read the terms of your contract?

With O2, unless you have paid for the Web Max bolt on which I believe is 30 quid a month then the terms of the Web bolt on states the following:

"Data Bolt On Terms

The Web Bolt On allows you unlimited use of Telefónica O2 UK Limited's Edge/GPRS/ 3G networks (as applicable to your handset), for personal internet use via your mobile phone. All usage must be for your private, personal and non-commercial purposes. You may not use your SIM Card:

in, or connected to, any other device including modems;

to allow the continuous streaming of any audio / video content, enable Voice over Internet (Voip), P2P or file sharing; or

in such a way that adversely impacts the service to other O2 customers.

If O2 reasonably suspects you are not acting in accordance with this policy O2 reserves the right to impose further charges, impose network protection controls which may reduce your speed of transmission, remove the Web Bolt On from your account or disconnect your tariff at any time, having attempted to contact you first."

Notice the bit about "in, or connected to, any other device including modems", that's yer tethering out the window.

New green and quiet jet-engine test results announced

A few years away yet?

I have no idea if either GTF or the open blade approach will live up to their manufacturer's claims, only time will tell. Imagine for a minute though that they do deliver 15% fuel improvements, how long will it be before any of the airlines can afford them?

Bear with me here-

From a quick scan of the net (and some very rough calculations) I see that a brand new RR Trent 1000 (which seems to be a decent, modern turbofan) costs something like 30 million US dollars. I got this number by taking 2.6 billion US dollars and dividing it by 86, the number of engines Virgin Atlantic are getting in a deal that was signed just a few months ago. Now those are for brand new planes, I believe they are for Boeing 787s, but how often do the airlines upgrade their fleets?

If you did want to fit 4 brand new engines to an existing aircraft then how long will it take you to pay back that 120 million US dollars (and that's presuming they cost the same as the current tech, which I seriously doubt will be the case) from the 15% fuel savings? Those planes are not going to be refitted in 5 minutes either. I guess that comes down to how much the fuel costs. Also, where do you get the money to buy those engines in the first place if business isn't that good? As someone pointed out earlier, airlines like BA are pretty strapped for cash right now.

Will be interesting to see how long it is before we see any aircraft with either of these engine technologies.

Nokia E75

Form over functionality?

I have to say that I'm inclined to agree with "Chris"on this one.

Up until about a year or so ago, I would have said that this phone was the perfect replacement for my aging E70 (it's almost 3 years old now). However, after having lived with the E70 for so long and having played with a friend's E71, I now don't really see the point in the E75. I'll explain-

These mutating candybar form factors, wither it be side sliders like the E75 or butterfly designs like the E70, require a physical change in the shape and dimensions of the phone as well as a rotation to get the display in the desired landscape format. This can never be as instant as it is in the landscape qwerty designs like the Blackberry or the E71 (and in the case of my E70 it takes seconds). I acknowledge that with improvements in software/hardware these delays can be minimized somewhat but there's still the time required to perform the physical movements. If you are using email or the web much, and I'm guessing you would be if you're in the market for a phone with a qwerty keyboard, then it's going drive you nuts if the change is not instant.

Actually the physical changes highlight another issue- the trade offs that have to be made to keep the size of the device competitive. These sliding/folding mechanism take up space, example: the E71 is thinner than the E75 but has a battery whose capacity is 50% greater. The slider is just something else that can go wrong, not that it necessarily will (my E70's folding mechanism is still as assured as it was the day I bought it) but it does increase the risk of something breaking.

About the only thing I can honestly see that the E75 has over the E71 is the size of the headphone jack- 3.5mm as opposed to 2.5mm (an issue that Nokia addressed in the E63).

Cost is an issue too- a quick glance about the net shows that you can pick up an unlocked E75 for 350 quid, an E71 for 270 and the E63 for 170 (a bargain if you don't need HSPDA).

Which kind of brings me back to my point, and my question to Nokia- why bother?

Nokia E63 Qwerty keyboard smartphone

Those moaning about the spec

Have you seen the price?

Who cares if it doesn't do everything that YOU want from a phone?

This phone can be had for 185 spondoolies (that includes VAT and delivery). You can't whack that with a big stick.

As for the comment that it's foolish to put out a business phone without HSPDA (remember it's still got basic 3G connectivity)- yer spot on there mate 'cos those guys at RIM never sold a thing until they added 3G to their products. Aye. right.

Microsoft Songsmith ad trumps Seinfeld shocker

Oh, the irony!

"Microsoft huh? So it's pretty easy to use?" - GENIUS

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This is old news

Come on El Reg, this is old news. Paris released one of her pastiches of the great works on to the web ages ago. I believe it was entitled "Girl with the Pearl Necklace".